Australian carrier Qantas Airways said today that it has taken four Boeing Co BA.N 737 freighter aircraft out of service, and is awaiting further advice from Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) about a potential defect, "Reuters" reports. with a part within the cabin.
IAI converted the four 737-300 planes from passenger jets to freighters for Qantas in 2006. Qantas operates the planes, which have an average age of 33 years, on domestic cargo routes.
An IAI spokeswoman told "Reuters" that she had no immediate comment.
Qantas said the affected part is a rigid barrier at the front of the cargo cabin which is an additional safety feature separating freight from the cockpit. The part was installed during the conversion in 2006, not while the aircraft was manufactured, so it is not part of the flight critical systems on the plane.
A Qantas spokesman told "Reuters" that the grounding was not expected to affect parcel deliveries in the season leading up to Christmas.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 11, 2019
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